SC defers hearing on Mulayam's plea against CBI inquiry

The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred till May five hearing on the petition filed by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav challenging the institution of a CBI inquiry into the alleged disproportionate assets of his families.

A Bench of Justices Altmas Kabir and H L Dattu deferred the hearing as the judgment of a Constitution Bench on the validity of the courts ordering CBI probe was awaited in the first week of May.

Yadav had filed a review petition questioning an earlier directive of the apex Court ordering a preliminary inquiry into the alleged disproportionate assets as claimed in a PIL.

The PIL was filed by Vishwanath Chaturvedi, an advocate and reportedly a Congress activist, seeking probe into the "disproportionate assets accumulated by Singh and his family members".

The Constitution Bench is seized of a batch of writ petitions questioning the power of High Courts and the Supreme Court to order CBI probes.

It is the contention of the petitioners that under the Delhi Police (Special) Establishments Act, only the Union Government can order the CBI probe with the consent of the respective state governments.